America’s Auto Auction St. Louis general manager Todd Ritter says Zach Evans has used his experience to “help build and strengthen the fleet/lease accounts at America’s St. Louis.”

Evans is fleet/lease manager at America’s Auto Auction’s St. Louis auction, and because of his work such as building fleet/lease accounts and meeting the challenges of doing business during the COVID pandemic, America’s has recognized Evans for outstanding performance.

America’s national sales director Tammy Swofford said customers often tell her they appreciate Evans’ work on their behalf at the auction.

“I know I can always rely on him to seek out potential business and to follow through with every account, whether they have five cars or 50 running at the auction,” Swofford said in a news release.

Swofford continued, “He contributes a great deal to make doing business at America’s St. Louis an exemplary experience for all who come through the doors.”

The challenges of doing business during the COVID pandemic boosted opportunities to help educate customers and improve their auction experience, Evans said. 

“We weren’t a big internet sale prior to the pandemic, but we’ve turned that around since COVID came along,” Evans said.

Evans continued, “Many of our long-time customers were unfamiliar with buying and selling online, so we took the opportunity to work with them to make the process easier.  Growing our internet audience has contributed to our overall strength now that the dealers are back in the lanes. Now we can focus on working with our clients to get more of the inventory that buyers are needing right now, whether they’re buying on the internet or at the auction.”

When Evans came to America’s St. Louis in April 2019, he hit the ground running, said Ritter, who noted Evans’ background in auction operations and his familiarity with the fleet/lease customers and their needs.

“He has taken that experience to help build and strengthen the fleet/lease accounts at America’s St. Louis,” Ritter said.

Evans’ auction career started in 2014 at ADSEA Memphis, working in the check-in department.  He moved on to become CR writer and outside coordinator and then e-commerce specialist and account administrator for various fleet/lease accounts.

He was promoted to fleet/lease manager after one year, and he worked in that position until starting with America’s Auto Auction St. Louis last year.

Evans says that his background has helped him succeed in his post at America’s Auto Auction. 

“A focus on every customer, regardless of volume or location, is deeply ingrained in the culture at America’s Auto Auction, which is a great fit for me and the way I approach the business,” Evans said.

Evans continued, “As an independent auction, we certainly appreciate the large, nationally-known accounts, but we also know that the smaller, local banks and credit unions are an important part of our market. It’s is great to be part of a company that values every relationship.”

The America’s Team has helped Evans in his work toward building strong customer relationships, with Ritter and Swofford providing strong support, he said. 

“That helps me to be a better employee, a better manager, and a better representative of America’s Auto Auction when I meet with the many customers in our area,” Evans said.

Industry recruiting and consulting firm TPC Management helped connect Evans to America’s Auto Auction. TPC works with auto auctions and companies that remarket vehicle portfolios and fleets, helping to identify talent to fill management positions.

America's Auto Auction St. Louis, located in Centreville, Ill., holds a sale every Thursday at 9:30, averaging 1,500 vehicles per week running on 10 lanes. The auction offers full service in-house transportation and complete reconditioning, making its inventory available online via OVE, SmartAuction, Open Lane and Edge Pipeline.

Founded in 2005, America’s Auto Auction operates 23 locations.